The C1 5G modem found in the newly announced iPhone 16e is just the beginning of Apple’s plan to reduce dependency on Qualcomm as the company is also planning to release a wave of succeeding in-house baseband chips that will be found in a multitude of devices. According to the latest rumor, the company is already testing the C2, with the new silicon said to be in the development process. Unfortunately, the details do not mention which product this modem will work its magic on.
The existence of the C2 5G modem was discovered through its unique identifier, indicating that Apple has already commenced testing
Several details of the C1 have yet to be unearthed, and we have already stumbled upon the C2. The information was posted by a private account on X, which has a history of sharing accurate data about Apple’s plans. MacRumors reports that the new in-house 5G modem features a C4020 identifier within Apple, hinting at its existence. Unfortunately, no more technical specifications have been mentioned, so we must rely on past reports to complete the puzzle. MacRumors has also respected the privacy of the private account and will not divulge the individual’s identity.
The C1 was just the stepping stone for Apple, as the Cupertino behemoth has a grand plan of bringing a wave of custom 5G modems to other products. The company was previously said to be testing cellular connectivity in portable Macs and is reported to be developing three custom variants for a different product class. Also, where the C1 lacks mmWave support, the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and a future iPad Pro family could be treated to this technology, but there is no confirmation if the C2 will provide support for millimeter-wave bands.
However, given that the C1 and its transceiver have been reported to be mass produced using TSMC’s 4nm and 7nm processes, respectively, the C2 could leverage a more advanced manufacturing process, resulting in greater power efficiency. At this time, the iPhone 16e is marketed to deliver better runtime than any current-generation 6.1-inch iPhone, and the addition of an even more efficient C2 could lead to unrivaled endurance compared to the competition. Sadly, the rumor does not mention a potential launch timeline, so we must wait for more updates soon.
News Source: MacRumors
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